Mike Wolanin | The Republic An exterior view of the Columbus Municipal Airport terminal building in Columbus, Ind., Monday, Dec. 29, 2025.
The Columbus Redevelopment Commission agreed to fund a gas line extension along Poshard Drive to allow for further development in the area.
The commission agreed to provide $41,764 for the extension, which Airport Director Brian Payne said was needed after it was discovered that a business that is going to occupy one of the lots on Poshard didn’t have access to the gas line. Funding the extension themselves would have priced the business out of relocating to the AirPlex Commerce Center, so airport officials decided to make the request to redevelopment.
Of the 15 lots in the AirPlex Commerce Center, 10 are occupied, Payne said, with more to come.
The AirPark PUD extends from River Road over to Poshard Drive. The AirPark is made up of four sub-areas — The InfoTech Park, Education/Life Sciences Center, Ray Boll Commerce Center and AirPlex Commerce Center.
City officials recently expanded the AirPlex Commerce Center to include a couple of more lots. The changes to the airport’s planned unit development (PUD) are downstream of the Great By ‘38 plan, a new master plan focused on land use on the airport.
The master plan, with 25 goals and 128 action items, is informed by the aerotropolis concept, which essentially is an economic hub based around an airport.
The redefined Bakalar Green, the open space near Middle Road, will include options for a “park facility, performance spaces for events and gatherings, interactive fountains and inclusive play areas tailored for youth, adults and families,” according to city documents.
The PUD change allow commercial uses throughout the InfoTech Park, Education/ Life Science Center and Ray Boll Commerce Center, where they will be either permitted or conditional depending on the specific commercial use. Airport officials said that intent is for retail uses to remain primarily at the intersection of Poshard and Central.
Other changes as part of the amended PUD include the expansion of the Ray Boll Commerce Center along Middle Road, south to the edge of the airport, occupying two additional lots previously assigned to the Education/Life Sciences Center.
The specific area designated for the community garden, along Cessna Drive in the southeast corner of the AirPlex Commerce Center, also expanded to the west and include an additional existing lot of about five acres.
